Continuously operating pulper



P 11, 1951 D. E. JONES 2,567,885

CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING PULPER Filed Aug. 10, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VEN TOR.

Z/4 zww. EHHQQ p 11, 1951 D. E. JONES 2,567,885

CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING PULPER Filed Aug. 10, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Sept. II, 1951 CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING PULPER Dwight E. Jones, Pittsfield, Mass., assignor to E. D, Jones & Sons Company, Pittsfleld, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 10, 1949, Serial No. 109,477

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for working on stock for pulp and paper making such as a pulper and is directed more particularly to apparatus of the class shown and described in U. S. Patent 2,433,490 dated December 30, 1947.

The principal object of the invention is the provision, in apparatus of the class referred to, of means to facilitate continuous operation thereof and is accomplished in such'a way that broke, waste paper or the like may be put in the machine and the resulting components are discharged continuously.

The novel features of the invention include apertured members at one or both ends of a rotor and in planes substantially at right angles to the axis of rotation thereof so that impellers,

associated with the rotor cause the stock to pass over the perforated members at high velocity. Thereby the reduced particles pass through the perforations and the members and an adjacent grate are kept clean and even though stock particles tend at times to clog the perforations, as when stock is added, the high velocity and circulation of the stock readily cleans the perforations and keeps them clean for the passage of reduced stock therethrough.

The apparatus is characterized by passages for collecting stock passing through the perforated members which are in communication with a vertically disposed chamber wherein the level of stock by means of a gate may be maintained at a level substantially equal to that in the tank or vat in which the propeller rotates and from this vertical chamber acceptable pulp flows to a discharge.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of apparatus embodying the novel features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a combined side elevational and sectional elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a combined end elevational and sectional view of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

A tank or vat 2 is provided which has side and end walls 4 and 6 extending upwardly from a lower walls 8. The tank is generally elliptical in horizontal cross section and may be supported in any desired manner from a floor or foundation.

Bearings l0 and I2 adjacent opposite side walls of the tank are secured thereto by supports 14. A shaft I; which may be connected to any suitable source of power extends through the tankand is rotatable in said bearings l0 and I2.

A propeller I8 is fixed on said shaft l6 and may be similar to that in the patent referred to and has longitudinal helical blades or bars 20.

Arms 22 at opposite ends thereof coact with a bed plate 24 associated with the end walls of the tank at opposite ends of the propeller.

The bed plates are provided with cutter bars 26 and as the propeller l8 rotates the arms 22 cooperate therewith to work onand reduce stock.

Members 28 which are preferably inthe form of plates have openings 30 therethrough and are disposed at opposite end walls over openings 32 in said end walls. The said plates are disposed in planes at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the propeller.

As the propeller rotates at high speed the arms 22 pick up stock which is partially or completely broken .up and discharge it at high velocity across the plates 28. Due to the high velocity the plate is kept reasonably clean at all times so that reduced particles will pass through the openings. Any tendency of the openings to become clogged is overcome by the passage of stock across the plates.

Collecting chambers 34 are associated with theside walls of the tank outside the perforated plates which receive stock passing through the perforations of said plates and from these extendpa'ssagewaysdii in communication with a vertically disposed chamber 38.

The chamber 38 is formed by walls 40 and 42 extending between a U-shaped wall 44 at an end of the vat, see Fig. 2.

The walls 42 and 44 provide a discharge compartment 46' which has a discharge connection A gate 50 is adjuststock in chamber 38 flows over the upper side of the gate to discharge. The gate 50 is adjusted by a threaded rod '52 to which it is secured and which is slidable in a member 54 and in threaded engagement with a hand wheel 58. The wheel 56 may beturned in opposite directions to raise and lower the gate.

In the normal course of operation with rapid feeding of raw stock into the pulper, it is possible to plug at the perforated openings 30 and even though there is a high velocity of stock tending to force the material from the inside of the opening, it is possible that these will remain closed for sufficient time to permit overloading the pnlper. To make provision against flooding the pulper, conduits 60 are provided to conduct the stock from the opening in the sidewalls 62, into the collecting chambers. This in effect provides for an internal overflow of the machine which prevents flooding the stock onto the floor.

The gate provides means for maintaining a relative level between stock in the tank and vertical chamber.

An opening 66 is provided which is normally closed by a gate 68. A rod l secured to this gate extends upwardly through rod 52. This gate may be elevated to uncover the opening 65 for emptying the tank and other purposes.

It will be observed that the apparatus is adapted for continuous operation since stock passing through the perforated plates may be discharged while the arms operate to propel stock across said plates.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters'Patent of the United States is:

1. A continuously operating pulper comprising in combination, a tank having a bottom wall and side and end walls extending vertically upwardlytherefrom, bearings carried by said side walls, and elongated propeller in said tank having a shaft journalled in said bearings for rotation 4 ber relative to the said upper edge of said vertical wall, and walls at opposite sides of the tank cooperating with the side walls thereof and with the walls forming the collecting chambers providing conduits extending upwardly from said collecting chambers, upper portions of the side walls adjacent said conduits being disposed downwardly from upper edges of said side walls for the overflow of stock from said tank through said conduits to said collecting chambers.

2. A continuously operating pulper comprising in combination, a tank having a bottom wall and side and end walls extending vertically upwardly therefrom, bearings carried by said side walls, an elongatedpropeller in said tank having a shaft journalled in said bearings for rotation on a horizontal axis, plates on inner sides of said side walls having inwardly extending cutter blades, said side walls provided with a series of spaced apart perforations disposed around the axis of rotation of said propeller and said plates,

arms at opposite ends of said propeller coopon a horizontal axis, plates on inner sides of i said side walls having inwardly extending cutter blades, said side walls provided with a series of spaced apart perforations disposed around the axis of rotation of said propeller and said plates, arms at opposite ends of said propeller cooperating with said blades on rotation of said propeller. to act on stock in said tank and force the same through said perforations, walls outside said side walls and one end wall of the tank cooperating with said walls and forming therewith collecting chambers outside the tank and horizontal passages extending therefrom around the sides and end of the tank, said perforations being in communication with said chambers, other walls including an intermediate vertical wall at said one end of the tank cooperating with the tank walls providing a vertically disposed chamber in communication with said passageways and a vertical discharge compartment adjacent thereto and separated therefrom by said vertical wall which has an upper edge terminating below the plane of the upper edges of said other walls and the walls of the tank, and a gate movable up and down in .said chamerating with said blades on rotation of said propeller to act on stock in said tank and force the same through said perforations, walls outside said side walls and one end wall of the tank cooperating with said walls and forming therewith collecting chambers outside the tank and horizontal passages extending therefrom around the sides and end of the tank, said perforations being in communication with said chambers, other walls including an intermediate vertical wall at said one end of the tank cooperating with the tank walls providing a vertically disposed chamber in communication with said p ways and a vertical discharge compartment adjacent thereto and separated therefrom by said vertical wall which has an upper edge terminating below the plane of the upper edges of said other walls and the walls of the tank, and a gate movable up and down in said chamber relative to the said upper edge of said vertical wall, and walls at opposite sides of the tank cooperating with the side walls thereof and with the walls forming the collecting chambers providing conduits extending upwardly from said collecting chambers, upper portions of the side walls adjacent said conduits being disposed downwardly from upper edges of said side walls for the overflow of stock from said tank through said conduits to said collecting chambers, the lower portion of said intermediate wall provided with a clean out opening into the discharge compartment, and a gate slidableup and down relative to said opening.

DWIGHT E. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The, followingreferences are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STA'I'ES PATENTS 

